I am not allowed to take any active exertion myself, and, indeed, it tells on me if I do, so that I have become a kind of thermometer, hopeless and headachy and listless the next day, if I overdo myself the very least; so that I have merely to encourage them by precept, not by example.

They have ponies and bicycles, and scamper about all over the country.

Edward has been brought home once in a cart, but not seriously damaged; and I like to leave them to themselves in these things--they won't damage themselves a bit the less for fussing and fretting over them, and they will lose ever so much independence and go.

Then I teach them to shoot, and they are very fair shots with a pea-gun.

And we also do a little carpentering, so we are well employed.